


London Love

by Elzzorr



Series: Your Love is Like a Gold Medal [1]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: 2012 London Summer Olympics, Alternate Universe, American!Nicole, F/F, F/M, Gymnast!Waverly, Olympics AU, Trackstar!Nicole, Wayhaught - Freeform, sorry not sorry for the terrible writing, tag as i go i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-03 12:03:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12747939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elzzorr/pseuds/Elzzorr
Summary: “And she's done it! Nicole Haught has once again secured a spot on the American track team for the 2012 Summer Olympics! What a day for the returning Olympian!”Nicole was jolted awake as the plane experienced slight turbulence. She opened her eyes to see them quickly approaching the ground. In normal economy-class airline seats, there wasn't nearly enough space for her long legs in the tiny space, but in first-class, she sat comfortably by the window. Being an Olympic-level athlete was the best.Nicole loved it.As her flight landed, she and the rest of the American Olympians on the plane exited the gate.“Welcome to London…” she said to herself.*Nicole is an American track star returning for her third Olympics in London. She's in it to win it, and to her, winning a gold would be the best thing that could happen... until she literally bumps into Canadian gymnast, Waverly Earp, who may just be the best experience for Nicole. But Nicole knows these feelings aren't meant for "just friends". She just hopes Waverly feels the same.Or the Wayhaught Olympics AU no one asked for. Enjoy!





	1. Landing

**Author's Note:**

> Just a reminder that I’m always open to suggestions! Constructive criticism is welcomed so feel free to leave your thoughts!  
> Just a warning that I don’t update very often cause school sucks like that, but thanks for reading!

_ “And she's done it! Nicole Haught has once again secured a spot on the American track team for the 2012 Summer Olympics! What a day for the returning Olympian!” _

 

Nicole was jolted awake as the plane experienced slight turbulence. She opened her eyes to see them quickly approaching the ground. She sat up and quickly gathered her belongings and tucked them away under the seat in front of her. In normal economy-class airline seats, there wasn't nearly enough space for her long legs in the tiny space, but in first-class, she sat comfortably by the window. Being an Olympic-level athlete was the best. 

 

Nicole loved it. 

 

As her flight landed, she and the rest of the American Olympians on the plane exited the gate.

 

“Welcome to London…” she said to herself.

 

*

 

_ “Waverly Earp, 22, will be representing Canada with her fellow gymnasts this year at her second Olympics!” _

 

“Babygirl, let's go! We’re in London! Can you believe it! There's British hunks  _ everywhere _ !”

 

Waverly wrinkled her nose at her sister’s antics. “Calm down, Wynonna. Save the energy for later, geez…”

 

After settling in, the sisters decided to go to a small gathering held for the North American competitors. 

 

“Waverly!” The brunettes head snapped towards the voice calling her name.

 

“Chrissy! It's so nice to to see you again!” The two gymnasts ran forward into a hug.

 

“How's training? I heard you Americans have got some pretty good athletes coming out here! Maybe they'll be able to keep up with the best!” Waverly said jokingly.

 

“Oh, please. You Canadians are just jealous of all the shiny medals we've got hanging around.” The 24 year-old winked.

 

Waverly brought her hand to her chest in mock offense. “As if!”

 

“I figured we would see each other again. After all, not everyone makes it to the finals in their debut year! You were great in Beijing!”

 

Waverly smiled. “Hey, I didn't get the silver like you, though.”

 

“Eh, it wasn't my first rodeo. Athens was a terrible debut for me, though.” She shuddered. “I got dead last!”

 

Waverly continued to chat with her old friend. They had both met at a function at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and had tried to keep in touch. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist and she was being dragged by Wynonna towards the bar. Typical Wynonna.

 

“Dolls! I want you to meet someone!” Waverly was swung over to a tall and muscular man.

 

“Dolls, this is my sister, Waverly. She’s a gymnast!” Wynonna excitedly said.

 

“Nice to meet you, Waverly. My name’s Xavier Dolls, but you can call me either.” He gestured to Wynonna swigging from an entire bottle of whiskey. 

 

Waverly recognized his name. “You’re the American who broke Bob Beamon’s long jump record, right?” 

 

“The one and only.” He bowed a little and chuckled. “8.92 meters. I’ll never forget that jump. Highlight of my career.”

 

“It really was impressive; I’ve only ever witnessed one record being broken before and that was the number of suspensions one person had been issued in our entire town. Of course, Wynonna is the proud bearer of that title…”

 

“Of course. Hey, you did pretty well last year, too. Making it to the finals in your debut is impressive, let alone the fact that you were barely out of high school!”

 

Waverly blushed. She wasn’t used to being flattered. “Thanks. I honestly didn’t even expect to qualify past the Trials but hey, I’m not complaining.” She gave a small smile.

 

“Dolls! Help me reach the good stuff!”

 

The track star turned towards the small brunette. “I should probably help her before she breaks something…”

 

“Yeah… I guess I’ll see you around then?”

 

“Knowing your sister, then yeah, I’ll see you soon.” He gave her a small smile and left to go babysit Wynonna by the whiskeys.

 

Waverly paid her no attention and made her way to the punch bowl. She had no intentions of getting drunk this trip unless she won a medal. While absent mindedly walking, she bumped into a rather tall figure, spilling whatever was in their cup all over both of them.

 

“Oh my gosh I am so sorry I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and now you’re soaking in whatever that was and oh man now you don’t have a drink and crud I’m wet too and crud this is bad and all my fault and Iー”

 

“Hey hey hey. Breathe,” the stranger said. “Don’t worry about the drink. Are you okay?”

 

Waverly was still a spluttering mess. She's hanging around some of the most talented athletes in the world and she just walked right into one and ruined their shirt and drink. Then this stranger doesn’t even show a hint of annoyance? “I-I- you're not mad?”

 

“Should I be?  _ I'm _ fine, really. But are  _ you  _ okay?”

 

The stranger had big brown eyes with tiny flecks of gold and were filled with genuine concern. “Yeah, yeah I'm okay. God, I'm such an idiot.”

 

“Nah, it's fine. My name’s Nicole by the way, Nicole Haught.” She brushed a strand of red hair out of her face.

 

Waverly’s eyes widened, spilled drink forgotten. “Nicole Haught?! As in won-silver-in-Beijing-for-the-Women’s-Heptathlon-Nicole-Haught?!”

 

Nicole laughed. “Yep, that's me. Glad to know someone’s a fan.”

 

“You really were amazing. I mean, I didn't actually see you compete since my events were about the same time, but I’ve heard loads of great things.”

 

“I've heard loads of great things about you too, Waverly Earp.” The redhead winked.

 

That stunned Waverly, spilled drinks forgotten. “How'd you…?” She had never received this much attention before. Especially from top-class athletes. She was used to being “the youngest Earp” or “Wynonna’s sister”. Having two older sisters win gold before you really casts a large shadow. 

 

“Please, anyone who has talked with Wynonna knows about her ‘wonderfully brilliant baby sister’. She loves to brag about you and your wins. I mean, I can't say I disagree with her,” she smiled and revealed two tiny dimples. “That, and I saw you in an online article one day. Not everyone makes it to the finals in their rookie year and manages to charm the whole world.”

 

Waverly began blushing. “Oh you know, it's all about the smile and wave. Small-town girl experience.”

 

“HAUGHTPANTS!” 

 

Both women groaned as a slightly-buzzed Wynonna launched into a side hug with the taller Olympian.

 

“I see you’ve met Haught-damn, Waves. She’s so cool…”

 

“I know, Wynonna. We were just talking when you rudely interrupted. Shouldn’t you be mingling with others? And by others, I don’t mean Doc and Dolls.” Waverly shoved her sister towards the crowd.

 

“Yeah, yeah…” The older Earp stumbled across the room.

 

Waverly huffed. “She’s so infuriating sometimes…”

 

Nicole had to laugh. “Tell me about it! Did you know she’s the one who started all the ‘Haught-damn/Haughtstuff/Red-Haught’ puns. You know, the ones people chant. It kinda sucks sometimes. But oh well, it’s Wynonna so once she’s got an idea like that it sticks…”

 

“Well I apologize on her behalf for being such an insensitive competitor. Honestly, she’s lucky I convinced my coaches to let me bring her with me…”

 

Everyone knew about Wynonna Earp’s “accident” back in 2010. Training for the London Games when her pistol fired unexpectedly in an unsafe manner and ended up sending a bullet through the back of her coach and father, Ward. Most speculated she had deliberately fired at him due to a previous argument in which both hadn’t spoken to each other in days. No one had witnessed the actual accident, just the aftermath. Waverly was shocked to say the least. A gunshot and scream just to find Wynonna holding a gun in her hand while her daddy bled out a few yards away. Wynonna swears it was a misfire; a manufacturing flaw causing the safety to not fully click when engaged. Blood tests revealed both were slightly intoxicated, Ward more than his daughter. The jury was reluctant to not charge her with murder but only did so due to a further exam of the gun that showed a flaw in the safety mechanism. 

 

She had been stripped of her Olympic and World Record as well as marksmen rights until she had been deemed fit to resume training by a therapist. 

 

Let’s just say Wynonna’s lucky her liver still functions.

 

Nicole thought for a slight second before asking, “Hey, do you maybe wanna grab some coffee sometime? Maybe explore the city a little on our off time?” 

 

_ Like a date?!  _ “Y-yeah. Yeah, that sounds great. Um here…” Waverly scribbled on a spare napkin before handing it to the American. “Text me when you're free I guess?”

 

“Yeah, for sure. Sounds great, Waves.” Waverly loved the way the nickname sounded when Nicole said it. “I'll see you around.” 

 

_ “God, this girl is amazing,”  _ Nicole thought,  _ “I'm falling too hard too fast.” _

 

“Yep,” Waverly said, enunciating the ‘p’ with a pop, “see you soon.” 

  
  



	2. Not a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole's feeling lonely and asks her newest friend to join her for dinner. Her straight friend. Who she just met. Who she absolutely cannot develop feelings for... oh wait. Already did. Oops. Not a date, just dinner with a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by my little fic! Hope you enjoy and stick around for more!
> 
> Suggestions and questions are always welcome :)
> 
> ALSO  
> There's a slight formatting error that won't fix so ignore the really weird spacing :)

_5:23pm_

**Haught-damn:** _Hey! It's Nicole. I was wondering if you're free for dinner tonight? Maybe around 6:30-7?_

_5:24pm_

**Haught-damn:** _It's okay if you're busy I just don't have any plans and don't wanna just stay cooped up in my room forever :/_

_5:26pm_

**Hair-for-days-Waves:** _Dinner sounds great :) Is 7 okay?_

_5:26pm_

**Haught-damn:** _7 is perfect. I'll come to your room then._

_5:27pm_

**Hair-for-days-Waves:** _Sounds good. I'm in room 713._

_5:28pm_

**Haught-damn:** _It’s a date ;)_

 

Nicole nearly smashed her phone on the wall. _What the hell. You're just friends going for dinner in the city. She's probably straight anyways. Don't be such a creep._

She had an hour and a half to take a shower and prepare for her _dinner_ with Waverly. Dinner, not date. She quickly put her long hair in a ponytail and did some light makeup. That was easy. Nicole never thought she would end up deliberating her clothes so many times just for one night. In the end, she decided on a pair of slim fit khakis and a navy and red flannel over a white v-neck. She knew it would be chilly so she threw on a gray jacket and pulled on her Vans. By the time she glanced at her watch, it was already 6:54. She was staying on the fifth floor and Waverly the seventh so she thought it was okay to just head up there, maybe take the stairs for some light exercise.

She stuffed her wallet in her back pocket and made sure to slide her phone and keys in her pockets as well before locking up and heading towards the stairs. She took her time and made it to 713 right on time.

She knocked twice and stood waiting for Waverly to open the door, who to her surprise, swung it open before the second knock was barely over.

“Hey,” she breathed out.

“Hey,” Nicole replied, speechless. “Wow, Waverly, you look… wow…”

“Wow” was an understatement. Waverly adorned a red v-neck crop top and black leggings that hugged her curves in all the right places and Nicole couldn’t help but take a peek at that perfect ass…

_“No! It’s just dinner! Not a date! Don’t fall for the straight girl! Don’t!!”_

 

Waverly’s voice brought her back to reality. “Looking pretty _Haught_ there, Nicole.” She giggled. _God that sound is so pretty-_

 

“Ha ha. I _totally_ haven’t heard that one before. Nice try though. You ready?” The redhead gestured to the hallway.

 

“Yeah, just need to lock up.”

 

Soon enough, they were on their way towards town. They walked to a small restaurant Waverly had seen on her way in.

 

“So, how long have you been a gymnast?” Nicole asked as they trekked down the busy sidewalk.

 

“Since I was about… three? I think. I don’t know exactly when. I just know I started competing when I was five or six. My tiny size was deemed perfect for flips and twists. Never looked back. My daddy was a very… competitive man. All of his daughters were expected to be the best of the best. That’s how Willa, my eldest sister, won three golds before…”

 

Nicole knew the last words of the sentence but didn’t push Waverly to share anything she was uncomfortable with.

 

Waverly wanted to tell Nicole though, so she sucked it up and took a deep breath before continuing. “Before she died in an archery accident. The uh, bowstring snapped on someone else’s bow and skewed the arrow to hit her in the back. I think my Aunt Gus is glad I’m invested in gymnastics… you know cause it doesn't involve potential weapons where you can die…” There was slight awkwardness in the air but neither athlete felt it was _too_ awkward.

 

Waverly wanted to change the subject to something less depressing. “But um, how’d you get into heptathlon?”

 

“I always liked track. My older brother was a sprinter so I naturally got into running? I dunno. There was this all-city track meet in my hometown and my dad signed me up as soon as I was old enough to compete. Long legs kinda helped then, still help now. I started off with long jump and the 400 when I was younger. Added on high jump in middle school since I had sprouted and my legs were suddenly twice as long as everyone else’s. In high school, our health teacher was also the shot put coach and was always trying to convince every single girl in his classes to join. I was the only one for all four years. I dropped the 400 and picked up the 200 and 100 hurdles instead. By that point, people had already mentioned heptathlon to me but I didn’t pay much attention to the idea until senior year. My coach was very convincing in terms of ‘you’ve already got down five out of the seven; might as well just do the other two’. Started training fall of senior year to the summer before freshman year for Athens. Hearing my name announced at the Trials was one of the best days of my life… the results at the actual Olympics were not so great.”

 

“So you mentioned an older brother. Any other siblings?”

 

“Yeah, three other brothers and a sister. James is the oldest at 32, then Hayley at 30, then me, then 20 year-olds Ryan and Trent; they’re twins. Ryan plays soccer for NYU. Annoying little fuck but I love him anyways. Trent’s the little angel. He’s his bro’s opposite; always fixing Ryan’s mistakes for him.”

 

“It was just Willa, Wynonna, and me so I don’t know what brothers are like. Or younger siblings for that matter.”

 

“Consider yourself lucky; little brothers are the worst,” Nicole wrinkled her nose. “One time, Ryan filled up my shampoo bottle with mayonnaise. And then Trent tried to take the blame for him. Poor guy. It was obvious it was Ryan though cause he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face when I came out of the shower with clumps of mayo clinging to my hair...”

 

The two women continued to converse as they sat at a table in the tiny bistro and talked for hours.

 

“Where exactly are you from?” Waverly asked in between bites.

 

“It’s complicated. I was born in Chicago, but grew up in LA and Houston for most of my life. Moved around to Boston, Atlanta, New York, even spent a year in Sydney and Ottawa. But mainly LA and Houston. I went to like 8 different elementary schools, it’s crazy.”

 

“Wow, that’s a lot of moving. I’ve never lived anywhere outside of my home town. Why’d you move so often?”

 

“My dad worked for the government; moved around with the job and all of that stuff. I didn’t really mind though. Met a lot of great people.”

 

Waverly hummed in acknowledgment.

 

“Where are you from?”

 

“This really tiny town called Purgatory. Yeah, I know right; it's got a weird name. It's just outside of Calgary.”

 

“Do you have anyone back home you use as motivation to win?” Nicole asked, setting her fork on her plate.

 

Waverly swallowed. “Well, I have friends back home but they aren’t much motivation. I guess I try to do well to spite my ex? He always tried to put me down saying I wasn’t good enough for the big leagues and all that, but here I am.” Nicole noticed the “he” and her heart sank for a split second. She shook away the sad thoughts and focused back on Waverly.

 

“He’s a total dick anyways. I mean, his name is _Champ_ , like what even? He wasn’t even that great of a rodeo clown anyways... I guess my family is really the source of my inspiration. I mean, there is Wynonna of course, but also my Aunt Gus and Uncle Curtis. They raised me since I was twelve because child protection services sent me to live with them after a particularly… nasty night with my daddy. They basically became my parents and always supported me and encouraged me to excel in my passions. That’s why the thing I want most is a gold, you know? To prove to them their sacrifices for me payed off. They flew out to Beijing to watch me and all last time and I even bought them both seats to the Trials this year but that was before Uncle Curtis… before he died. I’m um, I’m dedicating my performance at the games to my Uncle Curtis. He’s the one who always believed in all of my weird endeavors, like speaking dead languages and stuffs. He’s always wanted me to pursue what makes me happy…” Waverly sniffles.

 

“Waves, I’m so sorry. Hey, it’s okay. He sounds like a great man. Wish I could’ve met him. I’m sure he would be so proud to see you here.” She reached over and rubbed light circles over the back of her hand with her thumb in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.

 

Waverly was such a happy, bubbly person and you would never guess that underneath would be all this tragedy and hardship. No mom, no dad, no sister… Nicole could barely even imagine what that would be like for her.

 

Waverly quietly whispered a “thanks” before wiping the tears from her eyes.

 

Their waitress brought the check around and Nicole instantly reached for it and stuck her card in the slot.

 

“Wait, Nicole, you don’t need to-”

 

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Treat it like a thank you for coming to dinner with me and keeping me company.” She offered a reassuring smile.

 

“Thank you for dinner, Nicole.”

 

“You’re welcome. Like I said, thank _you_ for accompanying me.” Nicole smiled warmly at Waverly. The Canadian found it bizarre after only knowing Nicole for a day, she felt like they had been long-time friends.

 

They continued chatting as they walked down the sidewalk, laughing and enjoying each other’s presence.

 

About halfway back, a strong breeze made Waverly shudder. Why she thought it would be okay to leave the hotel without a jacket on, she will never know. Her crop top provided her with absolutely no warmth. Why did she have to do this to herself?

 

 _Because you wanted to look nice for Nicole you dimwit_. Waverly cursed herself as her teeth chattered.

 

Nicole took immediate notice of her discomfort and quickly pulled off her own layers.

 

“Here,” she held out the jacket for Waverly to take. Too cold to protest, Waverly slipped her arms through and laughed at how the sleeves extended past her hands and the hem rested around the middle of her thighs.

 

It wasn’t enough though, and Waverly still shivered. Without a second thought, Nicole shrugged off her flannel and replaced the jacket before draping the heavier layer over the shorter woman’s shoulders.

 

“Wait, Nicole, what about you?” Waverly tried to give back the jacket but Nicole refused.

 

“No, no. Take it. Really, I insist. I can’t have you freezing to death either. Then Wynonna’ll really kill me.”

 

Reluctantly, Waverly pulled the outer layer tighter around her small form.

 

It was like they were straight out of a cliche.

 

Waverly immediately noticed how both articles of clothing smelled like vanilla-dipped donuts… her favorite. It’s like the universe was _trying_ to set them up.

 

Waverly was dying to ask a question but didn’t know how the redhead would take it. In a small moment of courage, she blurted it out. “Are you seeing anyone?”

 

Nicole looked shocked, but her surprise quickly faded to slight embarrassment. “Well… it’s kinda complicated… I um. I was kinda married? It was a Vegas wedding after Athens. I met a girl rock climbing near the Grand Canyon and got drunk and decided marriage was a good idea. Obviously, it didn’t really work out. I mean, we’re still good friends, we just didn’t fit. Other than that, after our divorce a couple years ago, been a free agent on and off paper.”

 

Waverly was shocked. Purely shocked. Nicole was only 25 and had already been married _and_ divorced. Oh, and she’s gay. Wait. _She’s gay?!_

 

“Is that a problem?” Nicole looked wary, as if Waverly might snap at her at any second.

 

“Shit. I said that out loud didn’t I? I’m so sorry I didn’t mean it like that! And no, it’s not a problem, I was just surprised is all. Not a problem at all.” Waverly was beet red now, internally blaming it on the cold wind nipping at her cheeks.

 

Nicole was surprised Waverly didn't know she’s gay; Nicole was known for being an LGBT activist for a while. She was used to the media making a deal out of her coming out and being the only gay American Olympian at the time. There were however, three others that followed her public announcement in 2008 following Beijing.

 

“If you don’t mind me asking, but are _you_ seeing anyone? At least, after your, pardon me, dickhead-ex?”

 

“Well, I was. He was a dick too, though and I finally dumped him after I caught him shoving his tongue down my neighbor’s throat so… yeah it was overdue but I ended it for good and it’s been the best eight months ever.”

 

“Sorry to hear that. He deserved it, I think.” Nicole smiled, all awkward tension gone quickly.

 

What felt like ten minutes on the streets of London was actually over an hour, but neither woman minded. Upon checking her watch, Nicole noted the time.

 

“We should probably head back since it’s getting late. I also don’t want your sister to pummel me to the ground for keeping you out.” They both laughed, knowing how accurate the previous statement was.

 

Their stroll back was spent in comfortable silence, save for the natural bustling of London; the cars blocking the streets, restaurants playing soft piano for their guest’s entertainment, the bars and pubs lining the streets overflowing with people and noise. Neither woman minded just relaxing and taking in their surroundings.

 

Nicole thought she definitely had the best view walking right next to her, but she kept the thought to herself.

 

To both athlete’s dismay, they arrived at the hotel shortly. “Can I walk you to your room?” Nicole asked. Neither wanted the night to be over, even if all they had done was gone out for dinner.

 

“Yeah, of course.”

 

The trek to the seventh floor was way too short, the elevator being *conveniently* placed next to Waverly’s room. Nicole wanted to make up an excuse to get to talk to Waverly longer but realized that might be pushing the boundaries. _“It's not a date!”_

 

“Your roommates aren’t going to be mad you’re coming back at 11:00? Isn’t it like 3pm in Canada right now? You guys must be so screwed up on time zones.”

 

“Well I'm rooming with Wynonna and knowing her, she’s out and won’t be coming back until waayy later anyways. What about your roommates?”

 

“Oh, I um, kinda don’t have any…? I uh, couldn’t find anyone willing to room with so it’s just me...” Nicole shifted her gaze to her toes, suddenly insecure. _No one wants to room with “the gay one”..._

 

Waverly understood the real reason behind Nicole’s invitation for dinner. She needed a friend, and Waverly was more than happy to be that friend.

 

Nicole cleared her throat and broke the awkward silence. “Well, anyways, you should get some rest. Jet lag sucks haha.”

 

“You too, Nicole. Don’t wanna be sleepy for the next few weeks.”

 

“Goodnight, Waverly Earp.”

 

“Goodnight, Nicole Haught. Thanks for dinner; I had a great time tonight.”

 

With a gentle nod, Nicole began the walk to the fifth floor. Trying to think of anything except Waverly Earp. It was impossible, and Nicole just smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have comments, questions, suggestions, or ya just wanna talk, hmu on Tumblr @elzzorr :) I'm not a stalker I promise.


	3. Competition Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New best friends catch the media's attention! Competition! Pining! Bad grammar! Cruddy writing! What else could you want in one chapter?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been taking a while to post; school is hectic for me and finals are next week (AGH) so writing has had to sit on the back burner for now... Bear with me though! 
> 
> I also apologize for any discrepancies; I have no idea how most things work at the Olympics from an athlete's perspective (obviously) so if stuff seems off just go with it please!

For the following days both would make up excuses to see each other. 

 

_ “Just thought you might want to grab lunch if you’re not busy?” _

 

_ “I wanted to say thanks for the other day so I brought you coffee.” _

 

_ “Wynonna said she was going to give this to you but I was headed your way and brought it instead.” _

 

_ “Wanted to wish you well before you go on!” _

 

_ “There’s a small party tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to come along?” _

 

Nicole was falling.  _ Hard.  _ She hated herself for giving in so quickly but she just felt a certain connection to the Canadian that couldn’t be explained. She convinced herself to not make a move in fear of rejection and ruining their strong friendship. The two athletes had quickly became best friends. Nicole obviously wanted to be more than ‘just friends’ but wouldn’t make the first move in fear of the consequences. Waverly  _ seemed _ straight, so why push the limits just to lose a dear friend? Nicole would rather stay ‘just friends’ with Waverly and have her in her life than tell her and lose her forever.

 

Waverly on the other hand was scared of her feelings and determined to make a move before they went their separate ways after the games. She never felt this way for another woman and it scared her. Then again, she didn’t ever have feelings for anyone other than Champ… Nevertheless, she was determined to make her feelings known.  

 

The events of the next week or so flew by in the rush and excitement of the international event, however. Before she knew it, Waverly was getting ready to compete in the semifinals, her nerves off the charts. She found herself wondering who back home would be watching. Would Champ be drunk off his ass at Shorty’s yelling expletives as she performs? Would Shorty be watching on the small TV he installed four years ago just to stream the Olympics?  _ Would Nicole be watching too? _

 

_ Calm down. Just focus on here and now. Nothing else matters except what you are about to do. Just relax and pretend it’s practice. _

 

The speaker crackled as the announcer‘s voice boomed,  _ “And now, representing Canada, Waverly Earp!” _

 

The short brunette stepped out of the sidelines and took a deep breath.  _ You got this. _

 

*

 

Waverly finished her floor routine flawlessly, out of breath and tired but overwhelmed by the applause echoing around her.

 

“YEAH WAVERLY! YOU DA BEST WAVES!”

 

The gymnast turned her head towards the voice and saw a certain redhead on her feet, cheering and clapping. She had a small Canadian flag and was next to a very excited and surprisingly sober Wynonna.

 

Waverly couldn’t contain her smile. Nicole had come to watch her perform. Waverly knew Nicole’s events started the next day and she would probably be preparing. Nicole was always so thoughtful of others all the time. Waverly almost wanted to find  _ some _ imperfection in Nicole’s character because she just seemed  _ too good _ .

 

They met up in the back area for athletes and coaches. Nicole and Wynonna had used their “Competitor” badges (Wynonna’s stolen from Dolls, of course) to enter. 

 

Waverly launched herself into the track-star’s arms for a huge hug. 

 

“You were great, Waverly! I’ve never seen anything like it!” Nicole said, setting the shorter girl down.

 

“Yeah, babygirl, that was amazing!” Wynonna pulled her sister in for a hug as well.

 

Waverly began bouncing up and down excitedly. “I can’t believe you came to watch me!”

 

“Of course we did, Waves. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Nicole smiled and flashed her signature dimples. 

 

“I think they’re about to announce your score!” Wynonna said, peering at a TV screen.

 

Waverly quickly made her way back out in a more open spot with Nicole and Wynonna trailing behind. 

 

“ _ With a max score of 16.800 and deductions of 1.055, Waverly Earp scores a total of 15.745! She is now the leader of Women’s Floor.” _

 

Waverly stared in shock.  _ “She is now the leader of Women’s Floor.” _ An improvement from last Olympics, for sure. She just hoped she could keep the lead going into the finals.

 

She still stared at the screen in total shock and awe. It wasn’t until Nicole and Wynonna started excitedly shaking her shoulders that the shock faded into a smile so wide, her face could’ve split in two. 

 

*

 

**@gaynicorn2001:** #LondonOlympics did anyone just see the massive hug from Nicole Haught that Waverly Earp just jumped into?? I ship it

**@eatthegreystuff:** we need a ship name for this omg

**@smathers02:** wavercole? 

**@djpandagirl:** wayhaught?

**@dontslip:** nickerly? hearp?

**@gaynicorn2001:** I GOT IT

**@gaynicorn2001:** WAYHAUGHT

**@djpandagirl:** -_-

 

*

 

Both women spent more and more time together, grabbing coffee or taking walks at night in the city. The media definitely took notice after the hug as the tag #wayhaught started to pop up on Twitter and more and more paparazzi took photos of the two. It did get sorta uncomfortable when certain people would make rude remarks about them hanging out together but certain ones made her hope. If other people thought they acted like a couple, could Waverly actually be in to her as well?

 

*

 

The next day, Wynonna and Waverly went to watch Nicole in her first day of semifinals. The events in the first half of the heptathlon included 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put and the 200m sprint. Waverly was nervous for Nicole and Nicole was trying her hardest to focus on the task ahead and not Waverly Earp’s cute smile, or the way she squeals in excitement, or her pretty voice… Shit. Nicole was in too deep already and she was afraid it would affect her performance.  _ Shake it off. Just get through it today. First is the hurdles. You got this, Haught.  _

 

The competitors were all called to the starting line and the camera made its way around showing each heptathlete and the announcer gave brief intros to each. 

 

_ “In lane number five, America’s Nicole Haught!” _

 

Nicole pointed finger guns at the camera and winked; her signature move. 

 

Nicole shook off her nerves as the camera made its final sweep and before she knew it she was lining up and crouching into position. 

 

“ _ Ready. Set. *Beep*” _

 

Nicole launched off and sprinted towards the first hurdle, nailing the jump. She kept her eyes in front of her and continuously cleared the hurdles until there was one left. She pushed with all her might and crossed the finish line in second. It wasn’t that big of a deal since she knew she would probably win long jump and high jump and score high on shot put and javelin throw.

 

Sure enough, Nicole won the high jump and shot put by a lot, also placing second in the 200m. 

 

_ “Nicole Haught remains in the lead after the first day with a total score of 3,989.” _

 

Waverly was there with her sister to greet the American. Both walked straight into a hug.

 

“Wait, guys, I’m like super sweaty and gross. You don’t wanna hug me right now, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

 

“Suit yourself, Haughtpants. Let’s go get a drink, eh? We never got to celebrate Waves going to the finals yesterday. Now we get to celebrate you too. ”

 

Nicole was happy. Truly happy. She considered the two sisters her best friends, heck her only friends besides Dolls and a couple teammates, really. She enjoyed having people to hang out with and celebrate. People who were waiting for her after competing.

 

For the first time in a very long time, Nicole felt like she had a family.


	4. Media Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tucker makes an appearance and causes some grief...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOO sorry for the wait! School sucks and I was really busy during break and didn't get to write much... This chapter is really really really short and I'm super sorry but I dunno how to speed up the writing process... Bear with me!!

The media always tried to dig up dirt about Nicole. She seemed like easy gossip; one of the few openly gay Olympic athletes who kept to herself most of the time. People knew of her due to her successes but more for her sexuality unfortunately. She was used to the loneliness that accompanies the knowledge of that one tiny fact, but she was proud of who she was and wouldn't change it for the world. She had her regrets sometimes but they would quickly fade away when she reminds herself not to care what other people think of her. The media cared about her more than she did if she were honest. Being gay opened up a whole world of gossip for paparazzi. Nicole could be eating lunch with her cousin and rumors would be released that she's got a new secret sexy girlfriend. 

 

Waverly however, was a small town girl and everyone loved her. Nothing but good news was ever heard about the gymnast and she didn't care to be in the spotlight too often. 

 

Now however, hanging out with her new best friend sparked a deluge of rumors and the media started asking questions. Waverly had received a few calls and emails from journalists and paparazzi regarding the status of her and Nicole. She was used to attention, but not like this. It also didn’t help her sort out her feelings and budding crush on Nicole. 

 

Nicole felt guilty as if it were her fault the rumors had started and Waverly felt guilty for putting Nicole in that position again. Nevertheless, they still continued to hang out together when they could. 

 

It wasn't until they were eating lunch and a vlogger had approached them and starting asking them questions that it got really bad. He looked no older than 24 and filmed on his phone. His questions started off about the games and their individual performances before evolving into their personal lives.

 

“Miss Earp, do you have anyone at home watching and cheering for you?”

 

Waverly started, “Well, there is my Aunt Gus—”

 

“Let me rephrase that. Is there a  _ special _ someone? Boyfriend…  _ Girlfriend _ …?”

 

Waverly frowned a little. She hadn’t ever come out publicly, let alone to anyone really. “No…”

 

This guy got a little closer. “Maybe a  _ crush  _ then?” 

 

Waverly was obviously flustered. Her eyes flicked to Nicole before she fiddled with her fingers as she panicked.  _ What do I say, what do I say, SHE’S RIGHT THERE! _ “I um—”

 

“A name won't hurt, Waverly. Maybe even a hint?” 

 

As the guy stepped closer, it was apparent Waverly was not willing to answer.

 

“Hey, back off! She is obviously uncomfortable. What gives you the right to delve into her personal life like that?!” Nicole questions angrily.

 

“I'm doing it for my vlog—”

 

“What's your name?” Nicole set her jaw tight.

 

“Tucker Gardner.”

 

“Well Tucker, why don't you go ‘vlog’ about something less intrusive. Who Waverly is interested in is her own personal information that she doesn't have to share with anyone ever.” Nicole was standing now. “If you don’t have any other invasive questions, I think you should go, sir.”

 

“What gives you the right to tell me what to do?” he challenged.

 

“It was a strong suggestion,” Nicole said with gritted teeth.

 

“I don't ever have to listen to dykes like you. Now if you don't mind, I was trying to have a conversation with sweet Waverly over here. You’re wasting my time; there’s enough dirt about you already, you filthy lesbo.” He trend to shove past Nicole but she stood her ground.

 

“What did you call me?” She used her height to try and intimidate him, but the guy wouldn't back down.

 

“Oh I'm sorry, do you prefer the term bitch?”

 

Nicole was fuming. His poor choice of words reopened old wounds, but she had to stand her ground. She could cry about it later when she was alone. She picked him him up by the front of his shirt, spitting out,  “Back. Off. Don't ever call me that. I think you should go before we both do something we're going to regret.” 

 

“Oh, you already have, Nicole Haught.” With that, he turned and walked away.

 

Waverly stared in shock as Nicole watched the guy leave until he was across the street before sitting back down.

 

“Sorry I got riled up. It's just I hate when the media thinks our personal lives are supposed to be public knowledge, you know? Like anytime they ask about relationships they have to be asses about it. Like what gives them the right to know everything about us that they don’t need to know…”

 

Waverly touched the redheads arm. “Nicole are you alright? That guy said some pretty mean stuff to you… You act like everything's fine…”

 

“I-I… I’m fine. It’s fine. I’ve dealt with this stuff before. I-It’s just I can handle it when it’s just on me, but for that guy to start asking you questions you obviously didn’t want to answer, I kinda got too fired up. I’m sorry if I overstepped something…”

 

“I thought it was very brave of you, knowing what the media can say…” Waverly looked up at the taller athlete.

 

The redhead got lost in the hazel irises gazing back at her. “Really?” Nicole’s cheeks tinged pink as she realized how closely she was holding the brunette. 

 

The moment was broken by the simultaneous pinging emanating from their phones. Nicole opened up a news article that someone had tagged her on on Twitter. 

 

“Oh shit.”


	5. Suddenly...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AGH I'M SO SORRY GUYS!! I've got a lot of fics on my table right now and just school is really hectic right now with AP testing right around the corner! This is a really really short chapter and I. Am. So. Sorry. I just thought I should just throw this out there to tide y'all over until the next update...

“American heptathlete allegedly attacks vlogger,” Nicole reads out. She was in total disbelief. She didn’t do anything harmful to Tucker, especially anything he didn’t deserve. 

 

She hates the media.

 

Waverly opened the article on her phone too, gaping at the words. 

 

**American Heptathlete Allegedly Attacks Vlogger**

 

_ London, UK- Nicole Haught, an American athlete at the London Summer Olympics, allegedly attacked vlogger Tucker Gardner at a small cafe in London earlier this afternoon. Gardner states Haught “grabbed him by the shirt and threw him aside with harmful and abusive words” after she supposedly refused to answer a “simple question regarding her recent charitable acts”. Gardner posted these claims and stated them in his most recent vlog. His Youtube channel has reached over 1 million subscribers due to his uncanny ability to be filming “at the right moment and right time.” Haught, a 25 year-old heptathlete, has been receiving media attention since 2006 when she publicly came out as a lesbian. Recently, fans have been covering her friendship with Canadian gymnast Waverly Earp, who is also mentioned in Gardner’s vlog. He stated Earp “was answering his questions politely before [Haught] had ‘attacked’ him”. Following his claims, a clip was shown of an angry Haught grabbing Gardner by the shirt saying he should “back off” before “[either of them] do something they will regret”. No further investigation has begun yet. _

 

Nicole couldn't form any words. Tucker had turned her defensive warning against her. He had made her look like the bad guy when he was obviously antagonizing her. 

 

The video showed Tucker asking Nicole a question (that he didn’t ask!!!) and Nicole refusing to answer. The next scene showed her holding Tucker by his shirt and saying the one aggressive line before shoving him aside. The little fucker edited the footage he had to make it seem like she was the bad guy...

 

Both of their Twitters were blowing up; fans were asking if anything was true or if Tucker was trying to ruin Nicole.

 

**@gaynicorn2001:** There's no way Nicole would've done that #LondonOlympics

 

**@eatthegreystuff:** @n-aught_haught Say it isn't true!

 

**@scameroni** : @n-aught_haught you should be ashamed go dig a hole in the long jump pit and die

 

**@smathers02:** @n-aught_haught @wavearp no way this bs is true I believe in you guys

 

**@freethefakes:** Disqualification is a perfectly justifiable punishment for this kind of harassment. Athletes like that should not be able to compete. #LondonOlympics

 

Nicole sat down, her legs unable to keep her upright. She stared in shock at her feet. This could ruin her career. Her hands began to shake and Waverly stared at the confident athlete she’s known begin to crumble. She instantly sat next to her best friend and began to try to reassure her.

 

“Nic, come on he was totally lying! We both know it!” Waverly continuously patted Nicole’s back.

 

“But the rest of the world doesn’t!” Nicole buried her face in her hands.

 

To make matters worse, more news channels and bloggers started to find their way to the cafe and bring unwanted attention and bright lights. Nicole felt like she was being swamped by cameras and microphones being shoved in her face. The constant questions and shouting and attention was becoming too much until she couldn’t breathe and she gasped for every breath she could. Her lungs refused to work and Waverly was frantically trying to help her regain her breath. Nicole tried to push away the protruding microphones and camcorders, but her knees buckled beneath her and she collapsed to the hard concrete. 

 

Suddenly, she is sixteen again, lying on the cold linoleum floors of her high school hallway, Penelope Kramer and her cult of disciples shouting obscenities and kicking her in the chest. Suddenly, she's feeling the toes of their boots and sneakers dig into her rib cage and crushing her diaphragm. She can almost hear the venom dripping from their voices as they shout “Dyke!” and “Lesbo!” in between kicks and punches. Suddenly, she's sixteen again, friendless, alone, and being beaten up after school by her locker. Suddenly, she's sixteen again and the unwanted gazes from “innocent bystanders” burn holes into her throbbing head as no one moves to help her. Suddenly, the cold dirty tile is all she can feel against her cheek, now warm from the hot, bitter tears flowing in a steady stream. Suddenly, she's vulnerable, and she absolutely hates it.

 

_ “Nicole!” _ The faint voice is enough to ease the thumping in her temples.

 

“Nicole! NICOLE!” Waverly's voice snaps her back to the present where the brunette is crouched over her, shielding her from the oppressive cameras. Worry and concern crease her brow and Nicole makes a mental note that Waverly should never need to look like that again.

 

“Hey, hey, Nicole. Breathe. Breathe, Nicole c’mon do it with me.” Waverly helped Nicole sit up against a nearby wall. She continued to try to get the track star to regulate her breathing.

 

“Don't focus on them, pretend they're not there. Just look at me, okay Nic? Just focus on me.” Nicole's eyes frantically met Waverly's and she instantly felt herself begin to calm down.

 

When she was sure Nicole would be okay, Waverly stood up and addressed the rather large crowd. “Alright folks, I think you've done enough damage for the day. If you would be so kind as to go home and think about what you've done, we'd really appreciate it.” She gave them her fake smile before crouching back down next to Nicole.

 

“T-thanks, Waves…” Nicole shakily breathed out.

 

“I'm so sorry, Nicole.”

 

“What for? You've been nothing but kind to me and I cannot emphasize what a great friend you are to me. Don't ever feel like you have to apologize cause I couldn't get one of my panic attacks under control–”

 

“Wait, one of? You get these frequently?” Waverly’s face was filled with concern again.

 

“Y-yeah… Yeah I do. Since high school, I guess. I try to keep the super smooth confident facade to mask the vulnerability, you know?”

 

“I know  _ exactly  _ how you feel. Well maybe not exactly, but very similarly. I have the nice girl facade to hide my past. Maybe one day I'll share it with you.”

 

“I'd be honored to listen. Maybe someday I'll share mine with you, too.” Nicole looked at the younger girl with fondness in her eyes, filled with promise.

 

“Someday sounds great.” Waverly grinned at the redhead. A real, genuine grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YELL AT ME OR SOMETHING  
> tumblr: elzzorr


	6. Epiphany

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly's final round!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait again! Imma just drop this here... you know if anyone wants to read it....

The next few days were a bit of a blur; the media's attention was still hella annoying and nothing had been said about the Tucker Gardner thing so far, so both could breathe a little easier. There hadn't been another “incident” since the day at the cafe but Nicole was wary of media attention. Still, Nicole spent as much time as possible with Waverly, and both never wanted to leave the other. Well, until they had to at least. Nicole wasn't allowed to just stand with Waverly whilst she competed, especially today. It was Waverly’s final round.

 

And she was absolutely terrified. 

 

This was it. The moment she's been training for for the past four years. The medal-winning round.

 

This was the same routine she had been practicing at 11pm in her small gym back home and the same she had gotten countless coaching advice on. She knew she was ready, but she just couldn't quite quiet the small voice in her head telling her that even after coming all this way, she would fall short.

 

But she quickly pushed the thought away as her name was called.

 

The bright white lights from the large ceiling blinded her as she gazed towards the large crowd of diverse people. The cheers were deafening, yet too quiet. Waverly drowned out the noise as she stepped onto the floor. The opening notes of her selected song began and she took a deep breath.

 

_ I can do this.  _

 

*

 

As she dropped gracefully into her final position, panting and smiling, Waverly gave out a huge sigh of relief when she realized she’d just completed her last event of her second Olympics. She looked around her and was amazed by the number of people up on their feet.  _ All for her _ . 

 

She exited off the platform and her coach patted her on the back with a “Good job, girl. I’m proud of you.” She went to the back room to retrieve her jacket and wipe her face off a little and was surprised to see her sister rushing towards her.

 

“OH MAN BABYGIRL THAT WAS FLIPPING AWESOME!” Wynonna shouted, engulfing the shorter brunette in a bone crushing hug.

 

“Thanks, Wynonna,” she said with a small laugh.

 

Just then, she saw a sheepish looking Nicole standing at a distance. “You looked amazing out there, Waves. Blew me away. Hopefully the judges too.” She flashed her dimples and the younger girl just stared.

 

“N-Nicole?! What are you doing here?! You should be getting ready! Isn’t your first event in like two hours?!”

 

“Well, I snuck away from my coach for a bit for a bit of a breather and decided my time would be better spent watching you, so here I am.” 

 

Just like that, Waverly surged forward and wrapped her arms tight around the taller redhead, knocking the breath out of her with a small “oof”.

 

“Thank you thank you thank you!”

 

“Haha, you’re welcome Waves, anything for you, especially today.”

 

“Hey, babygirl, I think the others are finishing up, you might wanna head back over and see where you place!”

 

Waverly reluctantly withdrew from the American. “Come with me?” she asked, pulling the redhead towards the entrance.

 

“Of course.”

 

Nicole was met with the bright lights of the arena. The finishing total for the last girl was just added to the board. She felt the grip on her hand tighten with anticipation as the scores were listed.

 

_ “...silver medalist Chrissy Nedley of the US with a 15.804, and for the gold, with a final score of 16.502, Canada’s Waverly Earp!” _

 

Cheers. Cheers everywhere. Jumping, cheering, laughing. Waverly stood in place in shock. She was only pulled out of it when Nicole had lifted her up and Wynonna was jumping everywhere. Waverly felt a smile tear across her face and to Nicole, the world instantly got brighter. 

 

*

 

Nicole had to leave before the medal ceremony but made sure to shower Waverly in all the congratulations she could before rushing back to the stadium. 

 

She had jumped into her uniform and barely had time to slap on her name and number before her coach came marching towards her.

 

“HAUGHT!” he bellowed, “WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!?”

 

“Sorry, Coach, just went for some fresh air to clear my head a little. The pressure started to get to me a little,” she fibbed. It wasn’t entirely false, however. She was incredibly nervous and knew seeing Waverly would help ground her a little.

 

_ God, Haught you are in too deep for that girl… _

 

She stretched her long form and started jogging in place to warm up. The entire time she focused her attention on winning to impress Waverly. Well, winning to win and for all of her hard work to pay off, but also for Waverly, yeah.

 

She felt super confident anyways, knowing that the long jump, javelin throw, and the 800 meter were some of her best events. Back at the World Championships she had placed first, second, and fourth, respectively. She had to keep reminding herself that it was going to be the same thing as she always did and that the added crowd and stakes were a bonus not a fail factor.

 

Before she knew it, she was back on the track, lining up for the long jump. 

 

_ Breathe. In and out. In and out. Just like back home. One two jump.  _

 

She heard the beep signalling for her to start and without hesitation, she sprinted down the runway and leaped forward, landing in the sand.

 

“ _ 6.83 meters for Nicole Haught” _

 

She waited her turn again and repeated the same process, sticking a 7.24 meter jump.

 

_ God it’s going to be a long day. _

 

*

 

Waverly couldn’t contain her smile as she stepped onto the podium and the immense pride she felt when the Canadian flag was lifted behind her with her national anthem playing in the background. 

 

_ The only thing that would make this better is if Nicole was here _ .

 

_ Oh God. Nicole.  _

 

That was Waverly’s epiphany. Standing on the podium with a gold medal around her neck and cheers and applause surrounding her is when she realized that what she wanted most in this world was not a gold medal. 

 

It was Nicole Haught.

 

As soon as the ceremony was over, she was semi-attacked with congratulations from her teammates, coaches, and of course, her sister. Nicole had rushed to get ready for her second day of semis and Waverly’s heart picked up as she thought of Nicole scooping her up after she had been announced as the gold medalist.

 

She stuck around and greeted those who congratulated her for a small while before taking off towards the stadium, a confused Wynonna trailing.

 

Waverly was a planner, and for the first time in forever, was not sticking to the plan; she was supposed to stay and greet more people for another hour or so then be back at her room before dinner with the team. She wasn’t supposed to just take off right after her event, but Waverly was on an adrenaline rush and there was no time like the present to be brazen. 

 

And she had a different plan anyways.

  
  



	7. #exposed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After watching Waverly win the gold, Nicole rushes back for her second day of semifinals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait... again. In honor of my last finals being tomorrow at 8am (ouch) I am posting this as a sign of procrastination and giving up on school. Enjoy :)
> 
> Sorry it's short, too.
> 
> ALSO you may have noticed this fic is part one of a series! I've decided to plan out Wayhaught's future, probably continuing through Rio and possibly Tokyo?? Who knows... Anyways stay tuned for that for when I finish this first.

Nicole was tired. The 800 had proved to be more difficult for her due to her lack of warm up before. She silently cursed herself for cutting it so close before she realized that placing third in the 800 alone wasn’t going to kill her, especially since she had spent that warm up seeing Waverly win gold. That made it worth the slower finish.

 

But then again, she was done for the day though and could finally catch her breath. 

 

“ _ Still in the lead is American Nicole Haught with a final score of 7041.” _

 

Nicole was in the finals, as expected. She had the feeling that this year, she was going to win the gold. For herself, for her country, for her hard work. And for Waverly.

 

Waverly. Said girl was barreling towards the 25 year old, still wearing the shining gold medal around her neck. Waverly leaped and Nicole barely had enough time to open her arms to catch the small brunette as she launched into Nicole.

 

Nothing could've prepared her for Waverly connecting their lips in a sweet kiss. The world around the pair melted away until all Nicole could think about was the perfect feeling of Waverly’s lips moving in sync against hers. No thoughts of the Olympics. No thoughts of the media. No thoughts of Tucker Gardner and his stupid lawsuit. No thoughts of anything that wasn’t Waverly.

 

Nicole’s back slammed into the cold ground but she didn’t mind. She must’ve lost her footing somewhere and fell but she didn’t remember or care. Waverly pulled back, cheeks flushed at her realization, still straddling Nicole.

 

“I had an epiphany,” she blurted out, a little out of breath.

 

“What?” Nicole was slightly taken aback by the burst.

 

“Remember how I said the only thing I wanted right now was a gold medal?”

 

“Yeah–”

 

“Well, I was wrong. When I was on that podium, it felt so so good, but there was still something missing, you know? I thought once I got the medal, my past, the horrible things that have happened; I thought the weight would disappear now that I had gotten what I had wanted for the past 18 years of my life. But I was wrong.”

 

Nicole raised an eyebrow and grinned.

 

“Cause the thing I  _ really, truly  _ want the most, is you. And the truth is, I really  _ really _ like you Nicole.”

 

At that, Nicole chuckled. “I really  _ really  _ like you too, Waverly Earp.”

 

“I just did that, didn’t I?” Waverly asked, eyes wide.

 

“Oh yeah. Do you think you can do it again?” Nicole smirked.

 

“Gladly…” 

 

Waverly bent down and captured the redhead’s lips with her own once more. 

 

Someone cleared their throat and that’s when their bubble popped. They realized they were in a semi-public space where anyone could spot them. 

 

Nicole’s face matched her hair and so did Waverly’s as they sprung to their feet.

 

Coach Nedley stood there awkwardly. “Just wanted to congratulate you, Haught. I um, didn’t mean to interrupt…”

 

“Um, it’s fine, Coach. Thanks, though.” Nicole was still blushing, 

 

“Congratulations to you too, Miss Earp.”

 

“Thank you, sir.”

 

He shambled off, his cheeks pink, and left the two girls to talk.

 

“Do you think anyone else saw?” Nicole asked, still staring at the spot where Nedley had been.

 

“I hope not…” Waverly then realized what she had just said as Nicole turned with hurt in her eyes. “Not like that though! I don’t regret the kiss, Nicole, I really do like you. It’s just… the media. Who knows what they’ll come up with…” 

 

Wynonna finally came rushing over, out of breath. “Damn, Babygirl, I lost you for a while back there. You really took off. Oh hey, congrats, Red. Sorry I missed your kick ass performance today.”

 

“Thanks, Earp. Just promise you'll be around tomorrow?”

 

“Course. Wouldn't miss it. Unless they started handing out free booze, then sorry Haughtpants, but that’s my priority.”

 

There was a moment of silence before the two athletes’ phones started to ping and chime like crazy.

 

Nicole pulled out her phone with a furrowed brow. One look at the screen caused her face to instantly pale. 

 

“Um, Waves…?”

 

She looked up to see the gymnast with her mouth open.

 

“Guess we’re kind of famous now...” 

 

Wynonna, currently not receiving millions of texts and messages and tweets regarding a certain kiss, said, “Oh, must be people catching news of your wins today! Hey Haughtstuff, you're kinda favored to win on Friday, huh?”

 

“Um, yeah totally. Yeah, just the media blowing up over her medal and my score, that's all…” Nicole blurted out. 

 

Then, her phone chimed too. “Well, I'll catch you two later! See ya at dinner!” She took off, probably to meet up with Doc or Dolls.

 

Both women let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.

 

“Sorry for kinda lying to your sister there. I kinda panicked thinking she'd kill me.”

 

“It's okay. We’ll tell her if she doesn't find out about it sooner or later.”

 

“Oh shit, Waves. Someone caught a video of us.” 

 

She flipped her phone sideways and a low quality video played, catching their moment. It was from a fan's cell phone and the image was kind of grainy but there was no doubt about the two’s identities, explaining how as soon as the footage made it to the internet, their medias blew up. The flaming red hair of the American was unique to only herself and the gold medal dangling from the gymnast’s neck with her short stature gave her away immediately.

 

**@deerdiary:** Haught-shot’s gettin some action up in London LOL #waverlyearp #nicolehaught #LondonOlympics

 

**@gaynicorn2001:** OMG GUYS I TOTALLY CALLED IT #wayhaught #LondonOlympics

 

**@getmeouttahell:** “Just friends” they said… #wayhaught

 

**@felldowntown493:** OMG NICOLE HAUGHT AND WAVERLY EARP ARE THE CUTEST COUPLE EVER GUYS I CAN’T #wayhaught #london2012

 

**@sarcasticpencilcase:** I guess you can say it’s getting… WAYHAUGHT in London ;))) #wayhaught #itswayhaughtinlondon

 

“Um, this doesn't bother you does it?” Nicole asked, making sure the exposure was okay. She was already out and proud to the world, but Waverly wasn't. She wanted to make sure she wasn't just forced out.

 

“Yeah, I think I am. As long as you're by my side.” Waverly curled her fingers around the American’s arm and curled into her side.

 

“Waverly Earp, I will be by your side as long as you will have me.” Nicole looked into the stunning hazel eyes staring back at her.

 

“Willyoubemygirlfriend?” she blurted out.

 

“What was that?” Waverly titled her head in confusion.

 

“Erm, will you be my girlfriend? I know we’ve barely known each other for a week, and if it's too fast, I understand. It's just I kinda fell for you the moment you knocked into me at that first mixer. And I really really like you.” Dimples popped up at the corners of her cheeks.

 

“Of course, you big dummy. I'd love to be your girlfriend, even if it is a bit soon. I've got a good feeling about you, missy.” She stood on her tiptoes and surged into another kiss.

 

She pulled back, still gripping to Nicole's shoulders. “Let's go back and wash up before dinner. We're both kinda gross right now.”

 

Nicole picked up her small duffel bag and threw it over her shoulder, using her other arm to bring Waverly into her side. “Good call,” she said, placing a small kiss on Waverly’s hair before they started walking back to the hotel hand-in-hand.


	8. For Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole's second day of finals! Will she get the gold? Or will she fall short like last time and place second??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS! I'm really really sorry it's been so long! My entire summer break flew by and I couldn't even blink, let alone find time to write! I hope yall can forgive me for my terrible posting habits! ALSO SORRY IT'S SO SHORT I SUCK AT WRITING LONG CHAPTERS IN A TIMELY FASHION

Nicole’s first day of finals blew by so fast, she could've sworn Usain Bolt was running on the hamster wheel of time. Part of it was that she had distanced herself from her competitors with a strong score of 3,613 for the first day.

 

Waverly and Wynonna had been on the sidelines the entire time to support her.

 

The second day, Nicole was a wreck. She was more anxious than she had ever been because for the first time in a while, Nicole had someone to impress. Her siblings could care more or less, she knew at least Trent would be watching. Before she had nothing on the line except for her own dignity and pride. Now, she had Waverly and Wynonna watching her and supporting her and all of this made her want to cry. 

 

If there was one thing Nicole is not, it’s a crier. The only time she cries is when she is sure she is alone (unfortunately, that seems to be the case anyways).

Her coach noticed her nerves and told her to “Calm the f*ck down” or else she’d give him an aneurysm. She apologized profusely and Nedley just ended up waving her off.

 

Wynonna slapped her in the face and told her she would take away her and Waverly’s “sleepover rights”, still oblivious to their new relationship. (Waverly had insisted Nicole stay with her since she’d be alone.) The mention of Waverly made Nicole even more anxious and she hated herself for it.

 

She threw herself into her warm up, making sure to be extra loose. She had to give it her all today because this could be it. You never knew. The world of professional athletic competition was filled with ups and downs. 

 

Then again, so is life.

 

Her warm up playlist blasted in her eardrums. She focused on every stretch and pull of her muscles and the cracking of her joints.

 

“ _ On deck, Women’s Heptathlon,”  _ the PA system crackled out. 

 

Nicole’s heart thumped in her chest and in her head. She could feel it pulsing in her cheeks. She was about to take off her earbuds and tracksuit when she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. 

 

Waverly Earp stood gazing up at the redhead.

 

“I wanted to wish you good luck before you go out. I can tell you’re nervous but I want you to know, whatever happens out there, Wynonna and I will be here waiting with open arms and possibly a big tub of ice cream. It’s crazy how many ice cream parlors and gelato stands there are around here.”

 

Both laughed and Nicole couldn’t help but melt into Waverly’s touch.

 

“Nic,” Nedley’s gruff voice called. “It’s time.”

 

Waverly surged forward and planted her lips on Nicole’s.

 

“For luck. Win that gold for me?”

 

Nicole could only breathe out, “For you? Anything.”

 

She handed Waverly her jacket and shot her a wide grin before stepping out onto the track.

 

Her navy blue shorts and sports bra clung to her fit form as she stepped out into Lane 6. She crouched into starting position and lined herself up properly.

 

When the beep sounded she launched off and paced herself through the 800m, keeping a steady pace as she merged into the inside lane, in second. She sprinted as the finish line came closer and closer but barely missed the first place spot.

 

She jogged over to Nedley and he handed her a water bottle and towel. Her next event was the long jump, her signature, and she bounced in anticipation. She’d have to get first in both long jump and javelin throw to successfully win the gold and maybe set a new record. 

 

She waited for her cue and took off down the runway at full speed until she reached that fine white line and leaped as far as she could, launching off of her left leg.

 

She impacted the sand at 7.48 meters, which was pretty good, even for Nicole’s standards. On her next jump, she tried to sprint harder and faster as she leaped over the sand pit, landing at 7.64 meters.

 

_ “A NEW RECORD FOR WOMEN’S HEPTATHLON LONG JUMP! 7.64 METERS SET BY AMERICAN NICOLE HAUGHT! HISTORY IS BEING MADE TODAY IN LONDON, FOLKS!” _

 

The crowd was exploding with applause and cheers and Nicole couldn’t contain her smile when she brushed the sand off of her sticky skin. Waverly couldn’t have been more proud of her new girlfriend(!).

 

Javelin throw was a bit more challenging for Nicole to come out on top, but nevertheless, she persisted. Waverly’s smile was her inspiration and she nailed her throws as best she could, still out throwing her competitors, except for a Russian girl (but she was a slow runner and Nicole was still in the lead).

 

Relieved to be finished, Nicole let out a heavy sigh and panted off to the side, towel around her shoulders, sweat dripping off her face. Nedley gave her the rundown of what she could've done better and what she did well as she drank some water. The smile on his usually stolid face told her he was proud of her anyways.

 

When they started announcing scores, Nicole's heart was pounding harder than it was in full blown cardio mode.

 

The announcer, Chet Boston, started listing from the bottom upwards, and as the final scores grew larger, Nicole's anxiety increased. 

 

“ _ Bronze Medalist Kyana Adamson with a final score of 6987, Silver Medalist Carolina Kramer with a score of 7020, and the Gold Medalist, with a record setting 7294, is Nicole Haught!” _

 

Being completely honest, Nicole knew she had won with a 7294 (another new record!!), but hearing the announcer say, “Gold Medalist” and “Nicole Haught” in one sentence was one of the greatest things ever. 

 

Standing from the podium, she felt empowered, important, and most of all, loved. Ever since her junior year of high school Nicole always felt like the outsider because of her sexuality, but here, with that gold around her neck, she knew that it didn’t matter for now because she was a champion. Nicole almost cried. Almost.

 

As soon as the medal ceremony was over, Nicole ran a section of the track, the Star-Spangled Banner waving behind her as she held the corners proudly in the air. As she ended her victory run, Waverly ran over. Much like their first kiss, Waverly barreled into her girlfriend in a passionate kiss in front of millions of people.

 

So much for keeping it on the down low. Even Wynonna saw this one, and Wynonna is as oblivious as a tree.

 

But Nicole couldn’t complain when Waverly’s lips were on hers and the whole world melted away.


	9. Let's Celebrate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS!
> 
> I feel like I've been saying it a lot, but I am super super sorry!! Being a student and an author is really difficult (and yes I know some manage to make it work) and I just really have a hard time finding time to write! It's usually "Do I work a little on the fics now or should I get my six hours of sleep??"
> 
> Thank you so much for being so patient!

With both women having a gold medal, the happy new girlfriends constantly stayed together. They didn't care about the media, they didn't care about teammates or coaches. (For now, at least. Both had one or two minor events in the following days, but couldn’t care less with their main golds). 

 

The one thing they did worry about though, was a certain devil-may-care Wynonna.

 

Wynonna had been shocked to say the least, if the initial tornado of questions was any indicator. After calming down a little, she did give Nicole and Waverly a chance to explain.

 

“Sooo… How'd Haughtstuff manage to woo you, Waves?”

 

Nicole's cheeks tinged pink before Waverly answered, “Well, I spilled her punch all over her at that first party and we chatted a little bit. Then we went out for dinner and had a long talk a day or two after. We hung out a lot together over the next week or so, and became really good friends. It sounds really rushed but I really was sensing more than just a friendly bond forming. I think when she skipped a proper warm up to watch me at finals did I truly realize what I had been feeling wasn't platonic at all.”

 

Wynonna turned to the redhead. “You may be really chill, Haught, but if you hurt her in any way, shape, or form, I will personally make sure your body is never found. Understood?”

 

“I would never hurt her, Wynonna, and if I do, I will let you hide my body.”

 

Wynonna pat her on the shoulder, kissed Waverly’s forehead, and left the two alone. 

 

...Alone for all of two seconds until reporters and bloggers started showing up again. It hadn't been too long since their last encounter with the swarm of media, but at least now, the two could lean on each other on a whole different level.

 

“Nicole! Nicole! Is it true you had an unexpected panic attack after being questioned on the Gardner case?!”

 

“Miss Haught! Do you have any comments on the proceedings of the Gardner case?”

 

“Miss Haught, is it true you attacked Tucker Gardner because he had tarnished yours and Miss Earp’s relationship?”

 

“Miss Earp! Can you tell us anything regarding you and Nicole’s budding romance and how Tucker Gardner plays into all of this?”

 

The questions kept flooding their senses. Nicole was getting stressed, but Waverly gently squeezed her hand. She looked at Waverly as if to ask, “Can we tell them?” and was met with a smile and a nod.

 

“Waverly and I are dating, yes, but that has nothing to do with the Gardner situation. Our relationship was not in any way affiliated with what happened. Now, as I've told you lot before, I refuse to comment any further about the Gardner case without my lawyer present.”

 

They tried to escape the cameras, only to end up with more questions.

 

“Of course,” Nicole muttered to Waverly, “we both win gold medals and I break two Olympic records and all they care about is the stupid Gardner case…”

 

Waverly shrugged before placing a kiss on the redheads cheek. “People are stupid sometimes.” 

 

As Wynonna had promised, their whole group went out for drinks to celebrate wins and relationships. Nicole let herself drink more than she normally would due to Wynonna's influence. They were well into four shots of peppermint schnapps when Nicole began to feel slightly woozy.

 

“We’re gonna needs some more of those peppermint shots… cause it’s like… DRINKING CHRISTMAS!” Nicole slurred, a little too enthusiastic.

 

“Nicole, it’s August, Christmas isn’t for another four months. Calm down.” Waverly chuckled. Drunk-Nicole was a very cute Nicole.

 

Nicole looked like a kicked puppy and very loudly tried to whisper, “Sorry, baby!”

 

Wynonna, being Wynonna, was a terrible influence on the athlete who after another beer barred herself and refused to sip anything but water. Their celebration was very short-lived due to a) Nicole being too drunk for her own good; b) Wynonna getting a bit too riled up; and c) Waverly needing to take care of them. The gymnast hoisted her sister onto her feet and nudged her girlfriend into the car. Dolls was their DD and had silently helped Waverly strap Wynonna in. The drive away from the bar was pretty silent back to the Olympic Village. Nicole threw out a couple flirty comments, even going as far as to ask Waverly that cliche “Are you single” thing and start crying when Waverly responded no. Every comment from Nicole made Waverly fall in love with her more… Wait. Love? Waverly panicked a little. Nope, nope, she was definitely not in love with Nicole... at least not yet.

 

As soon as Waverly managed to throw her sister into her room, the brunette dragged her girlfriend into her room and proceeded to help Nicole get ready for bed, all while listening to the redhead ramble about how Waverly “is so pretty” and how she “likes her so much”. It was a struggle honestly, but Waverly finally collapsed into bed with her girlfriend snuggling into her side.

 

“Congrats, baby…” Nicole mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

 

Waverly smiled as she pressed a kiss to the track star’s forehead. “Congrats to you too, Nicole.”

 

*

 

Waverly woke to the sound of Nicole groaning and the bed shifting as Nicole sat up.

 

“Ugh… my head. How much did I drink last night?” Nicole had her hand over her eyes.

 

“Too much, apparently. It’s okay, you stopped yourself at one point so at least you’re still responsible even if your senses are dulled.” Waverly chuckled as the memory of Nicole pouting and refusing to drink another sip of alcohol remerged. 

 

“Well, thanks for bringing me back safely, baby.” Nicole leaned over for a kiss and Waverly shook her head.

 

“No, I have morning breath! Wait till I brush my teeth first!”

 

“Don’t care…” Nicole mumbled as she scooted closer.

 

“Nicole!!” Waverly giggled as Nicole started peppering her face with kisses, each one inching closer to her lips.

 

Their little bubble was popped as a banging on their door rang through the room, accompanied by Wynonna’s booming voice.

 

“Hey lovebirds! Open up! Seriously, it’s important!” Nicole shook her head as she stumbled to the door. She undid the deadbolt as Wynonna said in an exasperated sigh, “And for God’s sake, please tell me you’re decent! I don’t need to see Nicole’s bare‘Haught-bod’...”

 

Nicole’s face instantly glowed bright red. Waverly furiously shouted, “Wynonna! God, grow up will you! We haven’t even… agh!” Her face matched her girlfriend’s though.

 

Waverly placed her hands on her hips and glared at the older Earp. “What was so important that you had to come barging in on one of our free days?”

 

“Well, Tucker’s name sounded really familiar. So I did some digging and it turns out his older sister is Mercedes Gardner, this girl I hung out with when I was traveling in Europe; turns out she’s got a bajillion houses like everywhere but she’s actually from Toronto-”

 

“The point, Wynonna?” Waverly was getting impatient.

 

“Okay, okay. So, I emailed her the other day asking a couple questions, and she hates her brother’s guts. She did a little snooping and she found something on his hard drive while he was out and about and it’s the raw footage from that day at the cafe! She said her brother’s always been a creepy weirdo and she wants to release it to the press and legal court for the lawsuit and all that! Isn’t that great!”

 

“Whoa…” Nicole was speechless, her hungover brain trying to catch up to the information she just heard. “So you’re saying I can be free of this stupid mess?”

 

“That’s exactly what’s up, Haughtass!”

 

“Holy shit!” Nicole’s face broke into a huge smile and Waverly’s matched.

 

“Wait, there’s no way it’s that easy. Tucker’s known for being sneaky, what if his sister’s in on his ploy?” Nicole furrowed her brow.

 

“Mercedes? Nah, I saw her throw her sister into a canal because she said one off-handed comment; I’m pretty sure their sibling relationships aren’t very positive.”

 

“Well, can my lawyer talk to her? Get it all sorted out?”

 

“I already called your lawyer!” Wynonna said, a little too excited.

 

“How did you get her number…?” Nicole eyed her a little suspiciously.

 

“I may or may not have dug through your phone a little to find it last night when you were tipsy. I mean, you handed me your phone, unlocked and all, soo…”

 

“I’m pretty sure I handed it to you so you could tell Dolls where we were…”

 

“Well, I did that too so no harm no foul, right?”

 

Waverly facepalmed. “Whatever, thanks for your help Wynonna, but can you please leave now?”

 

“Fine fine, whatever you want, Babygirl.” 

 

Before she could leave, though, she was stopped by Nicole’s hand on her arm.

 

“Seriously, though, Wynonna. You’ve pretty much saved me from this mess. You’re a really great friend, you know?” Nicole pulled the brunette in for a short hug, one met with an awkward pat on the back, but the sentiment was there.

 

*

 

One meeting with Nicole’s lawyer later, Mercedes had given over a copy of the raw footage. With luck, they wouldn’t even go to court. 

 

The Closing Ceremony was two days later and the two women stood close to each other despite having to be slightly separated by country. At the end of it all, after all of the light shows and great music, they shared a sweet yet passionate kiss. Some stopped and stared, some just cheered them on, but for Waverly and Nicole, the whole world faded away once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> If you have any comments, questions, concerns, suggestions, or you just wanna chat, my tumblr is elzzorr :)


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